Distribution channel management for wireless devices and services

ABSTRACT

A system and method for distribution channel management for devices and services in the wireless telecommunications industry are disclosed. A product ordering software module is integrated with an activation and credit scoring software module, a commissions management software module, and a coop management software module, wherein the software modules are optionally integrated with additional software modules for product and service management, and report generation. A plurality of geographically distributed dealer agents who operate retail interfaces with customers use a web-based interface with the software modules and a data link with one or more distribution centers for delivery of wireless devices from a plurality of wireless device manufacturers, and with one or more carriers providing the subscription services activated for the customers via the activation and credit scoring software module.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This U.S. divisional patent application is related to, and claims thepriority benefit of, U.S. Nonprovisional patent application Ser. No.10/338,345, filed Jan. 8, 2003, which is related to, and claims thepriority benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No.60/346,520, filed Jan. 8, 2002.

COPYRIGHT STATEMENT UNDER 37 C.F.R. §1.71(E)

A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains materialwhich is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has noobjection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent documentor the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and TrademarkOffice patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyrightrights whatsoever.

REFERENCE TO COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING APPENDIX

This application includes a computer program listing appendix submittedon compact disc, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference. Thetotal number of compact discs submitted herewith including identicalduplicates is two. The files listed in the computer program listingappendix are as follows:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a distribution channel for wirelessdevices and services. More specifically, the present invention relatesto a web-based system and method for the management of such adistribution channel that includes a plurality of dealer agents,wireless device manufacturers and service providers.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Businesses supplying wireless products and services to customerstypically maintain various distribution channels for the fulfillment ofproduct and service sales and orders. The wireless devices, e.g.handsets, pagers, internet access devices, wireless email devices, andthe like, are generally provided by a manufacturing concern, whereas thewireless services, i.e. the actual sending and receiving of radio orother high frequency transmissions for telecommunication with or betweenthe wireless devices, are provided by a wireless service provider orcarrier. The end customer, i.e. the ultimate purchaser or user, needs tohave both a wireless device and a contract for service with a carrierfor the device to be operational.

The distribution of wireless devices and services is complicated by thefact that the manufacturer and carrier are usually different, whollyindependent enterprises. A wireless device such as a telephone handsetis associated with a unique identifier, such as an electronic serialnumber (ESN), usually assigned by the device manufacturer. A secondunique identifier, such as a telephone number or mobile identificationnumber (MIN), is assigned by the carrier for use in connection with thehandset. The MIN is programmed or otherwise loaded into a memory of thehandset, either at the distribution center or at the retail outlet. Thecarrier uses the ESN and the MIN to activate the wireless device forrecognition by the carrier's wireless system. The carrier must assignthe MIN, and must also enter the manufacturer's ESN of the wirelessdevice into its database so that the switching hardware recognizestransmissions from/to the device as authorized.

A common distribution channel for wireless devices involves distributioncenters and independent or third-party dealer agents, such as, forexample, large retailers including specialty stores, discounters, officesuperstores and mass marketers, master dealers and their respectivesub-dealers, and independent dealer agents, and the like. Carriers relyon these indirect retailers who ultimately interface is with thecustomer in retail outlets, by telephone, mail, fax, Internet,e-commerce or other retail interface, to acquire new servicesubscribers. This indirect channel can account for as much as 45 percentof overall activations.

Wireless handset manufacturers may produce various models and brands ofhandsets for different wireless operating systems or protocols. Thehandsets are typically procured, stored, and kitted for shipment in adistribution or fulfillment center. The handsets and kits can be sent tothe dealer agents to replenish in-store stocks, or can be shippeddirectly to an end customer who has already ordered the phone and signeda service contract with a carrier.

The customer purchases these wireless devices and accessories, as wellas carrier services through a retail interface such as a retail outlet,or by telephone, facsimile transmission, mail order, internet, othere-commerce and so on. The retail interface may involve carrier storeoperations and/or third parties such as dealer agents, who operate theretail outlet, or, in the case of telephone, facsimile, mail order,Internet ordering, or other e-commerce, an order processing facility.

Regardless of the product fulfillment method, the relationship betweenthe wireless telecommunication customer and the carrier of wirelessservices starts with a service contract. The service contract enablesthe customer's wireless equipment to access a wireless transmissionsystem, enabling the customer to send and receive calls, for example.The service contract also enables the carrier to bill and collect feesfor use of the wireless system by the customer.

There area number of costs borne by the carrier to establish andmaintain wireless customers or service subscribers through the dealeragent channel. These include “costs of acquisition” such as commissions,rebates, so-called sales-performance-incentives-for-free or “SPFF's” andother hand-set subsidies paid to the dealer agents; advertising andpromotional expenses; the expense of administration and management ofthe dealer agents; and so on. Typically, the dealer agent is paid acommission for each activation added to the carrier's service, which canbe a flat fee depending on the number of activations or it can take theform of a residual tied to usage or billing for the customer. Handsetsubsidies can include rebates paid to the customer (and sometimesassigned to the dealer agent), SPFF's paid to dealer agents, or can bediscounted prices for handsets sold to the carrier's new customers. Acarrier does not have a convenient way of ensuring that subsidizedproduct is used in its service network.

The task of communicating current rate plans, credit requirements andservice contracts to each of many dealer agents in a timely fashion canbe expensive. There are also costs of servicing the dealer agentchannel, such as product warehousing; product returns and other “reverselogistics”; transportation and shipping; order management; commissionmanagement; cooperative advertising and marketing management; and thelike. In the prior art, these costs are high because most systems areinefficient, and even in the case of automated systems for specificfunctions or tasks, they are not integrated. For example, most ordersare received by phone or fax, and commission management is not done as apart of activation, but is based on separate reports. Even wheresoftware is available, the dealer agent typically is required to useseparate software applications for the various different businessprocesses associated with the operation of a wireless retail outlet.

The dealer agents are similarly not satisfied with the performance ofthe prior art distribution channel. Commission calculations by thecarriers are frequently inaccurate and payments delayed. Inventory isfrequently characterized by insufficient product that is in demand, andexcess product that sells too slowly; there is not a satisfactory way toget exactly the right product mix into the store, i.e. there is no goodmarket forecasting tool available to the dealer agents. Too frequently,opportunities for potential cooperative advertising revenues are missed.The life of many dealer agents can also be complicated by offeringwireless service by more than one carrier and/or obtaining products frommore than one distribution center, so that the in-store procedures aredifferent for each carrier and/or distributor.

As a result of the fragmented and chaotic dealer agent distributionchannel characterized by the prior art, it is difficult for carriers togather and take advantage of point of sale information for spottingmarket trends, determining marketing demographics or sales forecasting.Roughly 80 percent of the dealer agents have 5 or less points of sale.Moreover, such data are limited to the carrier's own activations and donot include those of other carriers, and may not include all productspurchased by the customer. It is even more difficult for the wirelessdevice manufacturers to forecast market trends or determine purchaserdemographics because they usually receive only limited or no point ofsale information; the manufacturers typically learn of sales only bygeographic region.

There exists, therefore, a need for a method and system for managing thedealer agent distribution channel that overcomes the disadvantages ofthe prior art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a method and system for efficiently managingthe dealer agent channel for distribution of wireless devices andservices. The invention uses a single website for dealer agents to placewireless device and accessory orders, participate in cooperativeadvertising programs, process commission payments, perform customercredit scoring and activation, and the like. The invention isparticularly applicable when a plurality of dealer agents are involvedfor a particular carrier, and can also be used by dealers who provideactivations for more than one carrier. The invention is also applicablefor dealer agents who order products from more than one distributioncenter.

The system is preferably web-based and can include a presentation layerfor a plurality of wireless dealer agents to interface and exchange datawith a plurality of software modules for performing various businessfunctions associated with the sale of wireless devices and services, anda content management and delivery module for at least one carrier tointerface and exchange data via the function integrators. The wirelessbusiness function software includes modules for product ordering,activation and credit scoring, and commissions management, and can, ifdesired, also include modules for coop management, product and servicemanagement, report generation and other wireless business functions.

The present system and method can provide for efficiently supporting ahighly fragmented indirect channel, maximize activations for the carrierwhile minimizing support costs, and turn acquisition and managementcosts across channels into a single controllable cost. In contrast, thedirect channel company-owned stores have fixed costs. The invention canalso simplify management and control of product offerings and sellingstrategies that can vary significantly across distribution channels andgeographic areas. For the dealer agents, the invention can reduce thetime spent interfacing with the carrier, ensure product availability,facilitate and automate product forecasting and ordering, and speed upreceipt of activation revenue.

In one embodiment, the present invention provides a system for managinga wireless device and service distribution channel, comprising a productordering software module integrated with an activation and creditscoring software module, and a commissions management software module,and these software modules can, if desired, also be integrated withsoftware modules for coop management, product and service management,report generation and other wireless business functions. The system alsoincludes a web-based interface between the software modules and aplurality of geographically distributed dealer agents who operate retailinterfaces with customers for the sale of wireless devices andsubscription services. The system has a data link with one or moredistribution centers, preferably more than one distribution center, fordelivery of wireless devices from a plurality of wireless devicemanufacturers in accordance with orders processed by the productordering software module. The system further includes an interfacebetween the software modules and a plurality of carriers providing thesubscription services activated for the customers via the activation andcredit scoring software module. One or more of the dealer agents areauthorized agents for the sale of the subscription services by at leasttwo of the carriers.

In another preferred embodiment, the system comprises a plurality ofwireless dealer agents, at least one wireless carver and at least onedistribution center. A web-based presentation layer is provided forinterfacing and exchanging data with the dealer agents and carrier(s). Acommunication layer interfaces and exchanges data between thepresentation layer and wireless business function modules, including atleast product ordering, activation and credit scoring, commissionsmanagement, coop management, and content management and delivery, andcan, if desired, also include modules for product and servicemanagement, report generation, metrics gathering and other wirelessbusiness functions. Each of the wireless business function modules hasaccess to a distribution channel database for the storage and retrievalof data used by the modules. There is a data link provided between theproduct ordering module and the product distribution center(s). Ifdesired, a data-mining engine can be provided for selecting data fromthe database for the report generation module.

The method of one embodiment comprises the steps of:

establishing interfaces between distribution channel manager softwareand a plurality of wireless dealer agents for at least one carrier, thesoftware comprising a presentation layer for the exchange of data withthe dealer agents, wherein the presentation layer is operatively coupledwith business function software modules comprising a product orderingmodule, activation and credit scoring module, and commissions managementmodule, and can, if desired, also comprise software modules for coopmanagement, product and service management, report generation and otherwireless business functions;

operating the product ordering module to process orders placed by thedealer agents via the presentation layer for inventory replenishment andarrange for delivery of wireless products from at least one distributioncenter to the respective dealer agents;

operating the activation and credit scoring module to perform creditscoring on customers based on data entered via the presentation layer,to receive confirmation or conditions from the at least one carrier forthe establishment of wireless service for the customers, and to activatewireless devices to establish the customers as subscribers of the atleast one carrier;

operating the commissions management module to calculate commissionpayments to each dealer agent by the at least one carrier based on theactivations from step (c) that are validated and any charge backsapplicable to the respective dealer agent;

if present, operating the coop management module to develop marketingconcepts for each dealer agent; develop advertising copy and designbased on the concepts, arrange for approval of the copy and design bythe at least one carrier, and receive a coop payment from the carrier onbehalf of the dealer agent;

operatively establishing an interface between the at least one carrierand a content management and delivery module of the channel managementsoftware for receiving wireless marketing program information from theat least one carrier for use in the dealer agent interfaces in step (a),the product ordering operation of step (b), the activation and creditscoring operation of step (c), the commissions management operation ofstep (d), where present the coop management of step (e), or acombination thereof.

The channel management software used in the method preferably includes acommunication layer for exchanging data between the presentation layerand a channel management database. The interface with the at least onecarrier is preferably via the presentation layer, and the interface ofthe content management and delivery module is preferably via thepresentation layer or the communication layer. In step (a) of themethod, the user can be profiled at log on using a username and passwordor other unique identifiers to determine the type of interface to beestablished (carrier or dealer agent) as well as the software modules,content and database access levels.

The product ordering operation can include forecasting sales for arespective dealer agent based on data entered via the dealer agentinterface, ordering wireless handsets and accessories for the respectivedealer agent based on the sales forecast, tracking and receiving theorders, reporting on sold product, updating the sales forecast based onsold product, and reconciling activations with ESN's. The wirelessmarketing program information can include carrier service rate planinformation, commission information, rebate information, market directedfunding information, sales-performance-incentives-for-free (SPFF)information, collateral material information, training information onwireless products and services, sales tools, and the like. The methodcan interface with multiple carriers, wherein one or more of the dealeragents are authorized for activations with more than one carrier.Similarly, the method can place wireless product orders with more thanone distribution center, e.g. a distribution center of the channelmanager, the carrier, the manufacturer, a third party distributor, orthe like.

In one preferred embodiment of the method, point of sale information iscaptured during the activation and credit scoring operation of step (c)and stored in the channel management database. The point of saleinformation can be used in sales forecasting or other software modules.The channel management software can also include a business reportgeneration module. The point of sale information can also be mined formetrics reporting to the carrier(s), manufacturer(s) or other thirdparty.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. A is a schematic diagram of the relationship between the dealeragents, carriers, manufacturers, and distribution centers using oneembodiment of the channel management software of the present invention.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of the channelmanagement system according to the principles of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the channelmanagement system according to the principles of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of the relationship between the dealeragents, the channel manager, and the distribution centers according toone embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of the concept of a private exchangebetween the dealer agents and the wireless carriers facilitated by thechannel management application according to an embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 5 is a schematic view of the core components of the channelmanagement application according to an embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 6 is a block flow diagram of selected channel management businessprocesses according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a schematic view of channel management application systemarchitecture according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 8 is a schematic view of the channel management applicationsoftware of FIG. 7.

FIGS. 9-19 are screen displays for an ordering module presentationinterface according to one embodiment of the invention.

FIGS. 20-23 are screen displays for a content management modulepresentation interface according to one embodiment of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In the following description of the method and system of wirelessdistribution channel management, the invention is described as beingused to distribute wireless handsets. The present invention is not,however, restricted to handsets. Those skilled in the art will recognizethat the present invention may be used to advantage for the distributionof any number of wireless devices that must be activated for service, aswell as accessories related to the wireless devices such as cases,mounting hardware, antennas, remote listening and speaking devices,power supplies, battery chargers and the like. For example, the presentinvention can be used to advantage for the distribution of wirelesspagers, wireless Internet access devices, wireless email devices,satellite television and radio receivers, and various wireless remotes.However, for purposes of illustration and clarity, and not forlimitation, the present invention will be described with reference tothe distribution of wireless handsets.

With reference to FIG. A, there is schematically shown the general flowof goods and information between the dealer agents A, the manufacturersB, and the carriers C in accordance with the principles of oneembodiment of the present invention. The dealer agents A and thecarriers C interface with web-based presentation layer D, which is incommunication with server E. The channel management software F isresident on the server E and is in communication with database G for thestorage and retrieval of channel management data. The channel managementsoftware F facilitates the business processes that involve the sharingof information between the dealer agents A and the carriers C, whoeffectively communicate and conduct transactions with each other via thepresentation layer D and the channel management software F. Thedistribution center(s) H keep an inventory of products from themanufacturer(s) B. The channel management software F communicatesordering information with the distribution center(s) H via a data linkso that products are shipped from the respective distribution center Hto the dealer agents A in accordance with the ordering information.

With reference to FIG. 1, the channel management system 10 according tothe present invention provides a convenient platform for effecting mostof the business processes of the dealer agents 12 that require thesharing of information with the carrier(s) 14. The channel managementsystem 10 includes a web-based presentation layer 16 for interfacing andexchanging data with the dealer agents 12. The presentation layer 16 ispreferably a graphical user interface (GUI) comprising one or morescreens or pages viewable from a computer monitor or other displaydevice and enabled by activating a web browser program. The presentationlayer 16 can be customized or dealer agent-specific for private labelsor brands.

Various software modules 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28 in the channelmanagement system 10 facilitate the business processes involving thecarrier(s) 14. The module 18 provides product and service managementsuch as the communication of carrier service rate plans, wirelessdevices compatible with the carrier's system operating protocol, andpricing for products and services.

The coop module 20 manages the content, placement and payment for sharedadvertising and promotions, such as market-directed funding provided bythe carrier 14. The coop module 20 uses a coop account established foreach of the dealer agents 12, and with each purchase of productsdesignated as having a coop available, the respective dealer agent coopaccount is credited. For example, the module 20 can use a table datastructure to support product-coop relationships.

This allows the dealer agents 12 to take advantage of additional coopfunding from original equipment manufacturers (OEM's) that might nototherwise be available when the products are purchased from the carrier14 or outside the channel management system. The account can also becredited whenever the carriers 14 make coop payments. The module 20 ispreferably a web-based or web-accessible program that provides thedealer agents 12 with online access to their respective accounts. Thedealer agents 12 can send in scanned advertising copy for approval andpayment via the module 20. The module 20 can also include an ad makertool that allows the dealer agents 12 to create custom ads for the locallevel, and to create direct mail campaigns. The module 20 can alsoprovide means for supplying the dealer agents 12 with OEM-brandedcollateral merchandise, for example, t-shirts, mugs, pens and so on.

The commissions module 22 can track commissions payable by the carriers14 to the dealer agents 12 based on activations, for example, or othersales data captured via the presentation layer 16.

The credit scoring and activation module 24 receives credit informationfor a prospective wireless service subscriber, runs a credit checkand/or scoring according to the rules established for the particularcarrier 14, confirms credit approval (or reports conditions of serviceto the dealer agent 12), and activates the subscriber, e.g. by reportingESN, MIN and customer data to the carrier 14.

The ordering module 26 allows the dealer agents 12 to order stock viathe presentation layer 16, and arranges for order fulfillment by adistribution center (see FIG. 3). The ordering module 26 can alsoinclude order status tracking and inventory management functions.

The ordering module 26 preferably includes an online credit applicationthat automatically provides the dealer agents 12 with credit oradditional credit, and an information screen that informs the dealeragents 12 of their credit limits and availability. Credit limits for therespective dealer agent 12 can be adjusted based on activations. accruedcommissions, accrued coop funding, or other sales as indicated in themodules 20, 22 and 24, for example, particularly where the dealer agent12 has given a security assignment of such proceeds to the channelmanager to and/or distribution center. The module 26 preferably includesmultiple payment options, such as, for example, credit card,collect-on-delivery (COD), invoicing, electronic check, wire transfer,coop account balance transfer, or the like. For electronic checkpayment, the module 26 can include a data link with an online checkprocessor. For wire transfer, the module 26 can include a data link tocapture is wire transfer numbers, means for temporarily holding theorders until the wire transfer is completed, means for wire transferexecution, and means for sending an email or other electronicconfirmation of order acceptance or denial. Where credit is extended tothe dealer agent 12, the module 26 should also preferably include credithold and release features in the event the dealer agent 12 is notentitled to credit, e.g. due to payment history. The credit hold iscommunicated to the respective dealer agent 12 upon entry from the homepage, during the checkout process, or by email or other electroniccommunication, and depending on the type of credit hold can be releasedvia a user interface comprising one or more web screens and/or pages.

Volume pricing discounts can be offered to the dealer agents 12 bycatalog, with the ability to set and show prices available to the dealeragents 12 within different catalogs or another type of user interface.Volume discounts can be on a per transaction basis or total monthly orother time period purchases. The module 26 can also use a volume pricingrule determined by carrier partners, i.e. handset and accessorymanufacturers.

The module 26 can also provide for the ordering of associated marketingmaterials, e.g. banners, posters, point of sale

(POS) displays, and other collateral sales items, especially foraccessories and handset-accessory bundles. The module 26 can include aspecial offer landing page; shopping cart, add to shopping cart andcheck out features; and a special offer managing tool. Forhandset-accessory combinations, the module 26 preferably includes bundledefinition rules, shopping cart display characteristics, accountingtreatment methodologies, a database definition table or XML form thatcontrols the setting of bundles, a bundle management tool, and the like.

The module 28 generates routine or custom reports based on theactivities in the other modules. For example, activations by ESN is acommon report generated from data captured from the activations module24, and has considerable utility in the commissions module 22 wherethese payments are based on a fee for activations. Other reportsgenerated by module 28 can include purchase history for is phones andaccessories, aging of accounts payable, summary of returns and creditsto account, and so on.

These modules are commercially available, similar modules are availablethat can be readily adapted for use in the present invention by theordinarily skilled programmer, and/or the software for performing thefunctions of the modules can be developed by the ordinarily skilledprogrammer. For example, ordering software for module 26 is known underthe trade designations ORDERSTAR® (see the computer program listingappendix) and CELLSTAR AOS 4.0; and report generating software formodule 28 is known under the trade designation CELLSTAR NETXTREME® (seethe computer program listing appendix). Many carriers already haveactivation and credit scoring software that can be readily adapted foruse in the channel management system 10, and others are commerciallyavailable, e.g. from GetConnected Inc. Coop management software isavailable, for example, from Advanced Advertising Services.

This channel management system 10 allows each dealer agent 12 to log onto a single website with a username and password protocol to profile thepresentation layer 16 and/or other software modules for the particularmarketing program applicable to the respective dealer agent 12 and/orcarrier 14, recognizing that each of the carriers 14 can have differentprograms for different dealer agents 12 who have different volumes orgeographical locations or service areas. The dealer agent profile limitsinformation to that which is appropriate for the particular dealer agent12, i.e. one dealer agent 12 will not generally be provided with accessto the information of other dealer agents except as authorized by theprofile. Moreover, some dealer agents 12 may be authorized agents ofmore than one of the carriers 14; the channel management system 10allows these multi-carrier dealer agents 12 to interface with multiplecarriers via the same presentation layer 16, while at the same timepreventing unauthorized viewing of one carrier's information by another.The channel management system 10 thus provides a platform for theprivate exchange of information between the dealer agents 12 and thecarriers 14.

On the other side of the channel management system 10, the carriers 14can interface a content management and delivery module 30 that isintegrated with each of the software modules 18, 20, 24, 26, and 28.This allows each of the carriers 14 to automatically update programinformation for all or selected ones of its dealer agents 12. Forexample, changes in subscription plans can be simply posted into thechannel management system 10 via the module 30 and each affected dealeragent 12 is automatically updated at log on or otherwise. Similarly,collateral materials for coop advertising can be convenientlydistributed to the appropriate dealer agents 12 via the coop module 20.

The content management and delivery module 30 provides the carriers 14with an online administrator tool to create its own catalog. Forexample, specific catalogs are assigned to each of the carriers 14. Thecarriers 14 control the wireless handsets and accessories that areselected for the catalog, and the catalog assigned to the particularcarrier 14 is made available to the carrier's dealer agents 12 by login.The catalog preferably associates accessories and aftermarket productswith each handset model. The module 30 preferably includes a loginscreen for the carriers 14 in which the carrier 14 enters a username andpassword. The module 30 allows the carrier 14 to add new items to thecatalog and delete obsolete items.

The module 30 also preferably includes a web-based pricing interfacethat allows the carrier 14 to set prices used in the ordering module 26.The prices can be set globally or for particular dealer agents 12 orgroups or classes of dealer agents 12. The module 30 preferably includesa web-based administrative tool for the carrier 14 to offer rebates,SPFF's or other incentives to the dealer agents 12, again eitherglobally or to specific dealer agents or groups or classes of dealeragents 12.

The carriers 14 are also allowed to login and profile sales via theordering and reporting modules 26, 28. By providing the carriers withsuch an interface, the carriers 14 can view all sales to dealer agentswithin their system and obtain reports on product, ESN, intelligentroaming database (IRDB) and so on by “ship to” or other parameter.Preferably, the system 10 creates carrier profiles and dealer agentprofiles, and associates the profiles of the carriers 14 with those ofthe respective carrier's dealer agents 12. The module 28 can also beconfigured to generate custom reports for the carriers 14.

Another embodiment of the invention is shown schematically in FIG. 2wherein the system users 100 comprise both dealer agents and carrierswho exchange data via a presentation layer 102, which can be a singlewebsite accessed by both types of users 100. There is a distinctcommunication layer 104 that then exchanges data between thepresentation layer and the various business process software modules106, 108, 110, 112, 114, 116, 118, 120, as well as database 122. Thecommunication layer 104 also facilitates data exchange between thevarious software modules 106, 108, 110, 112, 114, 116, 118, 120, andthus serves to integrate them. The modules 106, 108, 110, 112, 114, 118generally perform the same functions as the modules 18, 20, 22, 24, 26,28 in the FIG. 1 embodiment; however, the content management anddelivery module 116 corresponding to module 30 in the FIG. 1 embodimentis also similarly integrated via the presentation layer 102 andcommunication layer 104. Additional business process software modules120 can also, if desired, be integrated into the system via thecommunication layer 104.

A database 122 is also integrated via the communication layer 104. Thisallows information gathered during the operation of the software modules106, 108, 110, 112, 114, 116, 118, and 120, e.g. point of saleinformation, to be captured. These data can include demographic data,handset and accessory data, plan information, options selected, carrierand the like, and can be used for data mining and metrics reporting, forexample, via a data mining engine 124 and report generation module 118.The database 122 can be geographically distributed, for example, thedatabase 122 can include an aggregation of data maintained or providedby participating carriers, manufacturers, other third parties, or thelike.

These data, solely from the channel manger and/or aggregated with datafrom one or more data sharing partners, can be conveniently used insales forecasting, inventory management, and marketing by the channelmanager, the dealer agents, the carriers, the distribution centers, thewireless device manufacturers, market research consultants, and otherthird parties. Because these data can be based on the data for alldealer agents, carriers and manufacturers participating in the channelmanagement system, they are more representative and is complete thaneach user's own data would be. Conversely, access to specific data orregions in the database 122 can be limited by rules establishing whichdata are accessible by user profiles, for example, where differentmanufacturers desire to keep confidential or proprietary data from othermanufacturers or users. Because the channel management system iscomputerized and integrated, the data are current and can be madeavailable very promptly. For example, sales trends and changing customerdemographics can be quickly reported to manufacturers who can thenchange their marketing strategies and product mix in response. Dealeragents can be promptly alerted to developing demand for certainproducts. A direct benefit of the channel management system of thepresent invention is improved efficiencies and reduced costs for thedealer agents, carriers, and distribution centers, and lower prices andimproved service and delivery to customers.

FIG. 3 schematically illustrates the operation of the channel managementapplication 200 to manage a plurality of indirect dealer agents 202 andcoordinate product fulfillment from various sources. For example, dealeragents 202 authorized by a particular carrier may include one or twolarge (more than 1000 activations per month) agents 202A, a handful ofmidsize (100-1000 activations per month) agents 202B, and a relativelylarge number of small (less than 100 activations per month) agents 202C.Regardless of size, each of the dealer agents 202 uses the channelmanagement application 200 to order wireless devices and accessoriesfrom distribution center 204 operated by the channel management softwareoperator, distribution center 206 operated by the carrier, fulfillmentcenter 208 operated by the carrier, and/or distribution/fulfillmentcenter 210, which can be independent of the carrier and channel manager.The distribution/fulfillment centers 204, 206, 208, 210 process theorders and deliver the merchandise to the dealer agents 202 and/or theircustomers as the case may be. The distribution centers 204, 206, 208,210 preferably report to the channel management application 200 so thatthe dealer agents 202 can also determine product availability, trackorder status and delivery, manage inventory and the like. If desired,the channel manager can by agreement also receive activation revenuesfrom the carriers on behalf of the dealer agents and transfer thesefunds to the dealer agents, to cover purchases from the distributioncenters, or as an offset against accounts payable to the channelmanager. Other distribution and/or fulfillment centers (not shown) canalso be used to supply merchandise to the dealer agents 202 and/ordirectly to their customers in the case of fulfillment centers.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of the concept of the private exchange ofcarriers with their dealer base and third parties. The channel managernetwork 300 provides integrated business software for the wirelessmarket as described above, including ordering and paying formerchandise, marketing, coop management, product activation, commissionpayment, account management, access third party deals, customer datainput, advertising support, training, and the like. Carrier 302 is afirst indirect channel manager with a gateway 304 through the network300 to manage dealer agents 306. Carrier 308 is a second indirectchannel manager with a gateway 310 through the network 300 to manageagents 306 and 312. Note that dealer agent 312 is an exclusive dealeragent for carrier 308, whereas dealer agents 306 are authorized toenlist subscribers for both carriers 302 and 308. Another gateway 314can be provided through the network for the dealer agents 306 and 312 tointerface with other third party service/product suppliers, such as, forexample, interne service providers 316 (e.g. AOL or MSN), broadbandservice providers 318 (e.g. GetConnected, Simplexity or Handango),personal digital assistant (PDA) manufacturers 320 (e.g. Nokia,Motorola, Ericsson), and the like. The dealer agents 306, 312 thus haveaccess to third party devices and services, as well as accountmanagement, custom catalogs and the like.

FIG. 5 schematically illustrates the core components of the channelmanagement system 400, including dealer agent interface 402 linked tovarious software modules 404, 406, 408, 410 and 412. The interface 402includes or is operatively linked to a customer point of sale (POS)information input platform 414. The channel management system 400 servesto integrate all of the necessary components of a complete channelmanagement application and expands simple ordering to encompass privateexchange functionality between the dealer agents and the carriers.

The private exchange module 404 provides carriers and other indirect iswireless distribution channel managers to uniquely tailor prices andrebates for each dealer agent account within the program. The module 404can be used to sign up new agents online, as well as manage dealer agentcredit applications online. The module 404 offers catalogs and catalogviews that are specific to the pertinent carrier; each carrier cancontrol the products listed in the catalogs for its dealer agents, forexample, to ensure that the phones sold to its subscribers work properlyon the carrier's network system. The module 404 effects fulfillment oforders via data links, preferably extensible markup language (XML) datalinks and/or simple object access protocol (SOAP) to variousdistribution centers operated by the carrier, the channel manager,manufacturers, third party logistics suppliers, etc. The module 404 candevelop agent profiles by account, region and nationally, andfacilitates the monitoring of agent purchasing behaviors. The module 404desirably creates administrator views so that indirect channel managerswithin each carrier can view and track sales by geographical region. Themodule 404 preferably associates the ESN of handsets purchased by eachdealer agent so that the information can be used in the activationmodule 410 to ensure that carrier-subsidized products are used in thesubsidizing carrier's service network.

The product marketing module 406 provides additional wireless productsand services for sale by the dealer agents through a separate tab andsection of the agent interface site 402, enabling each agent to sellbroadband, long distance, local exchange, satellite services, and PDA'swith wireless telephone services. The product marketing module 406 Cansupport online sales by the carriers from a carrier's website using adata link, preferably an XML/SOAP data link, to a direct-to-the-consumerfulfillment center for order processing. The module 406 also providesthe entire dealer agent base for each carrier with an online source forrate plans and for downloading rate plan alerts, changes, updates andsimilar information. From to the dealer agents' perspective, they areprovided with the means for comparison shopping that can be used tofacilitate sales in their stores, and they can also order products thatare not in stock in their store, e.g. for fulfillment directly to thepurchaser.

The coop module 408 facilitates cooperative advertising submittal,approval and payment process. The module 408 can include tools such astemplates to facilitate the development of ads by the dealer agents. Forexample, prepackaged graphics and ad layouts can be made available tothe dealer agents online. The module 408 also provides carriers withdiscrete control over each dealer agent account, similar to the privateexchange module 404. Because coop funding available to each dealer agentis usually directly dependent on the level of product purchasing, theintegration of the coop module 408 with the product purchasing functionsof the private exchange module 404 simplifies the coop function for boththe dealer agent and the carrier.

The credit score and activation module 410 enables dealer agents to loginto ordering software and use a separate tab to enter customer datarequired for activation. With the appropriate data links, the module 410provides real-time credit scoring with the carrier's credit bureau orusing an outside credit agency. The module 410 will allow the dealeragent to enable credit score and activation processes across multiplecarriers. The module 410 uses credit failure data to offer alternativeproducts and/or services. An online purchase form associates ESN's,MIN's, customer information and other information required foractivation, and automatically enters the associated information into acheckout form. If desired, the module 410 can be integrated withexisting online tools of a particular carrier. The subscriberinformation for each dealer agent is stored and downloadable into thedealer agent's system, while the information is simultaneously capturedby the respective carrier for activation. The module 410 can also beused to minimize fraud and reduce chum, i.e. the contemporaneouscancellation of subscription service by a carrier's existing customerand the establishment of a new subscriber account for the customer bythe dealer agent.

The commissions module 412 allows dealer agents and carriers toreconcile commission payouts. The carriers can manage payment ofcommissions to dealer agents using the module 412. The carrier canuniquely structure commissions by agent account or globally. Using themodule 412 will allow the dealer agents to receive their commissionchecks sooner than if the carrier were managing the process. Anotheradvantage is that facilitating the commission reconciliation and paymentprocess allows the channel management enterprise or distributioncenter(s) to use commission receivables as collateral against bad debtfrom dealer agent accounts, thereby reducing credit costs and risks.

FIG. 6 is a block flow diagram of some of the indirect dealer agentbusiness processes according to an embodiment of the present invention.The product order and payment track begins in step 500 with an estimateof product needed using a sales forecast that can be based on recentsales by the dealer agent as well as other tools, including data “mined”by the operation of the channel management system. In step 502, thesales forecast is used to order phones and accessories. The order isreceived, routed to the appropriate distribution center and tracked instep 504. In step 506, the product sales by the dealer agent are trackedand reported, preferably using a POS data capture platform. If desired,the step 506 can be integrated with information on returns. Asmentioned, sales reported in step 506 are used in the sales forecastingstep 500. In step 508, the activations are reconciled with the ESN's ofthe product sold, preferably via the POS data capture platform.

The product marketing track includes the posting by the carrier of rateplan information into the channel management application in step 510,and of commission, rebate market-directed funding and SPFF informationin step 512. This information is in turn used in the ordering step 502by the dealer agent to maximize carrier subsidies and payments andminimize the cost of goods, as well as in coop management as discussedin more detail below. Using the information posted by the carrier insteps 510 and 512, the dealer agent develops collateral or POS materialsfor the desired products in step 514. In step 516, the dealer agentreceives training for store sales personnel on the products and servicesoffered by the dealer agent, and in step 518 the dealer agent usesonline sales tools.

In the coop management track, the dealer agent develops marketingconcepts in step 520, taking into account the information from steps 510and 512 as previously mentioned. In step 522, advertisement copy anddesigns are developed by the dealer agent, and submitted for approval instep 524. Once approval by the carrier or on the carrier's behalf isobtained in step 526, the ads are placed in print, broadcast, or othermedia, and the coop payment is made in step 528.

In the product activation track, a credit scoring is performed in step530, the credit approval (or conditions) is received in step 532, andthe subscriber is activated in step 534. Reconciliation of ESN's withthe subscriber activation is then performed in step 508 as previouslymentioned.

In the commission payment track, the expected commissions are calculatedin step 536 based on the activation report by ESN from step 508. Theactivation report is received by the carrier in step 538, validated instep 540, and commissions are paid in step 542, less any charge backs instep 544.

FIGS. 7 and 8 show an overview of system architecture for the channelmanagement application according to another embodiment of the invention.The channel management application 600 is linked via the internet 602for communication via hypertext transfer protocol (http) or secure http(https) with the workstations or servers of the product ordering agents604, reporting users 606, content managers 608, other business partners610, and the like. The channel management application 600 is similarlylinked via a transaction broker application or server 612 (see thecomputer program listing appendix for an example) for communication viaSOAP, XML or the like with the systems of external data warehouse 614,external credit scoring and/or activation system 616, coop managementpartner 618, external fulfillment center 620, and additional integrationpartners 622 such as, for example, distribution centers, datawarehouses, product databases, enterprise resource planning systems,including real time pricing capabilities, and the like. Custom interface624 can be used for interfacing with clients without SOAP/XMLcapabilities.

The channel management application 600 includes product ordering tool630 to (see the computer program listing appendix for an example),reporting tool 632 (see the computer program listing appendix for anexample), content management tool 634 (see the computer program listingappendix for an example), commissions management tool 636, and channelmanager database 638. These tools and the database 638 are associatedwith an application programming interface 640. The is product orderingtool 630, reporting tool 634, and content management tool 634 can beassociated with respective graphical user interface (GUI) processors642, 644, 646. The product ordering tool 630 can include targetedmarketing feature 648, real-time status feature 650, custom catalogs652, and advanced product navigation feature 654. Enterprise database638 can include a data warehouse 656, a membership or user database 658,product database 660, and the like.

In a preferred embodiment, the product ordering tool 630 includes one ormore of the features of the ORDERSTAR® software module, e.g. onlineorder processing, product availability, customized product catalogs,real time shipping information, individual shopping cart, an accountmaintenance section, information security (user login), private brandingcapabilities, online support, open development and integrationstandards, and the like. The reporting tool 632 preferably includes thecapability for reporting by ESN, inventory, order history, saleshistory, and the like. The reporting tool 632 preferably uses the sameInternet security access and profiling as the ordering tool 630. The GUIprocessors 642 and 644 preferably have a similar look and feel.

FIGS. 9-18 show a representative set of interface display screens forthe GUI processor 642 associated with the typical placement of an orderusing the ordering tool 630. FIG. 9 shows an exemplary login screen 700on a conventional web browser, including a login area 702 for inputtinga username and password, and a new user area 703 with a link to anonline self-registration screen (not shown). A banner area 704 isincluded for the display of the website manager graphics and trademarks,as well as a site navigation bar 705. If desired, banner area 704 caninclude graphics and/or trademarks specific to the carrier or otherprivate branding for brand consistency. In either case, the banner area704 and associated branding logos, custom colors and fonts are desirablyuniform throughout the site for brand consistency. A customized pageheader 706 for each type of screen appears throughout the site. Aninformation area 708 is a section dedicated for the display ofinformation about the customized web site which can include links toadditional informational content. A promotional area 710 can be reservedfor promotions and advertisements, preferably with a consistent brandingimage.

FIG. 10 shows a typical home page 720 to which the user is directedfollowing login. The home page can include a product search area 722, acustomized catalog selection area 724 for targeting products to theappropriate market segment, a mini-promotional area 726, an ordertracking section 728 for checking on the status of an order or viewingprevious orders, and a shopping cart area 730. The catalog menu includesa link to a custom catalog created for and maintained by the user, e.g.for the user to quickly access frequently ordered items. The shoppingcart area 730 displays the shopping cart subtotal and includes a link tothe cart details. The home page can also include a mini-marketingmessage area 732, a major marketing message area 734, and one or more adbanners 736, each of which can be targeted to specific brandingcustomers. Targeted marketing presents material to the requestor basedon profile-driven considerations, date range, catalog selection, sitesection, or the like. All targeted marketing preferably includes linksto an outside URL, PDF, product listing (see FIG. 11), product detail(see FIG. 12), or the like, or can simply display a message.

FIG. 11 shows a typical product listing page 740 including a productlist area 742 showing a product image thumbnail, and real time price andavailability for each product listed. The availability can be indicatedby quantity or a simple indication of “available” or “unavailable.” Theproduct list area 742 can also include a sort-by pull down menu 744 andscrolling feature 746. Hot-button 747 provides the ability to quicklyadd a listed item to the user's custom catalog. Quantity input entry 748(default set to 1 or another pre-selected value) and hot button 750provide the ability to quickly add the selected item to the shoppingcart. A product navigation area 752 displays a customized browsingtaxonomy for each catalog available to the user.

FIG. 12 shows an exemplary product detail page 760 including additionaldetails and a larger image of the selected item, also including theprice, availability, ordering and custom catalog entry features fromFIG. 11. A related products menu 762 preferably provides navigation todetail pages for items that are comparable, related to or compatiblewith the selected item, along with real-time price and is availability.

FIG. 13 shows a representative shopping cart page 770 for reviewing theselected items prior to checkout. The shopping cart view can alsodisplay the price and availability of each item, along with a productimage (not shown) and description. In the shopping cart view, the usercan remove items, adjust the quantity ordered, update the cart, emptythe cart, continue shopping (revert to previous page), add the item tothe user's custom catalog, or proceed to checkout screen 772 as seen inFIG. 14. Screen 772 includes input area 774, optionally withfield-specific pull-down menus, for entry of shipping information anddelivery options, and input area 776 for entry of order confirmation andtracking options, e.g. confirmation email and email address. The usercan return to the previous screen to view and/or modify the shoppingcart as previously described, or proceed to the order review screen 778seen in FIG. 15. After reviewing the complete order information, thedealer agent can return to a previous screen to make any necessarymodifications, or place the order and proceed to the order confirmationscreen 780 of FIG. 16 and review the confirmation order information.

FIG. 17 shows a representative order status page 782 from the accountsection of the site with a display area 784 for a list of ordersincluding order number, order date, reference numbers, and statusinformation. The display area 784 preferably includes a search resultstitle, search criteria, and list navigation functionality including apull-down menu and scrolling, for example. The display area alsoincludes navigation buttons 786 to order detail screen 788 (see FIG. 18)for order detail information 792 for each order. The order status page782 and detail screen 788 also preferably include an account navigationarea 790 to other account pages (not shown), such as, for example, toview and/or modify address options; view accounts specific to carrier,manufacturer, distribution center or the like; view order status; makereturns; and so on.

In a preferred embodiment, content management tool 634 (FIG. 8) includessoftware for product management, channel marketing, and dealermanagement. The product management functionality preferably facilitatesthe control of product access by market and retail location; themanagement of inventory, returns and the fulfillment cycle; the trackingof inventory levels, sales figures, returns, refused shipments andoutstanding purchase orders; and so on. The channel marketing allows thecontent manager to track user activity, top-selling products and mostfrequent user searches; to build custom promotions pages andautomatically track high-demand products; to develop and publishtargeted marketing messages and ad banners; and so on. The dealermanager functionality includes customer service and sales forceautomation, for example, and allows the content manager to manage dealerorders, e.g. review, modify and cancel dealer orders; to review dealercredit and billing history; and to distribute targeted messaging tosales or customer service representatives.

The content management tool 634 facilitates the management of dealeragents, product and marketing content through at a single site with aset of easy-to-use interfaces (see FIGS. 19-23). The tool 634 can makepre-existing product content web-ready and customer-friendly byintegrating the carrier's content and/or hosting it in the channelmanagement application 600, and/or by importing data from an existingenterprise resource planning system. The tool can also re-purpose and/orsyndicate web-ready content to other business areas such as intranets,sales force automation tools, business-to-consumer web fulfillment, andso on.

FIG. 19 shows an exemplary login screen 800 viewable with a web browser,including a login area 802 for inputting a username and password. Abanner area 804 is included for the display of the website managergraphics and trademarks, as well as a site navigation bar 806. Ifdesired, banner area 804 can include graphics and/or trademarks specificto the channel management application host or other private branding forbrand consistency. In either case, the banner area 804 and associatedbranding logos, custom colors and fonts are desirably uniform throughoutthe site for brand consistency. An information area 808 is a sectiondedicated for the display of information about the customized websiteand can include links to additional informational content as indicatedin the drawing.

Upon completion of login, the user is directed to a home page or“dashboard” 810 as shown in FIG. 20. The dashboard 811 includes a listof tasks sorted by due is date with a brief task description andpriority, and also includes an expanded “view all” listing option andnew or custom task entry navigation. A customized page header 812 foreach type of screen appears throughout the site. A product quick searcharea 814 can provide a pull-down menu for product type, keyword entryand launch features. A frequently used reports box 816 providesnavigation to reports for slow moving products, 60-day phone sales,minimum and maximum inventory levels, returns by dealer, activations bydealer, a complete listing of reports, and the like. A check dealeraccount box 818 provides a pull-down menu for user groups, keyword entryand search launch. A view promotion details box 820 provides a pull-downmenu for promotion groups, keyword entry and search launch. Additionalsite navigation area 822 can provide icons and site area descriptionscorresponding to the navigation bar 806.

A products and catalogs landing screen 830 is seen in FIG. 21. A mainproduct maintenance area 832 provides navigation to product maintenancein process, obsolete products, missing information such as images,related items, comparable items and the like, soon to go items such ason special, on close-out, off special, off close-out and the like, andso on. A main view/update products and catalogs area 834 providesnavigation to various product types and catalogs, as well as anavigation editor. Similar product management box 836, including a bulkediting access feature, and catalog management box 838 are provided tothe left with product quick search area 814. The listing andfunctionality of the product and catalog tasks from the dashboard 811 ispresented in a main products and catalogs management area 840.

A marketing toolkit landing screen 842 is seen in FIG. 22. A mainpromotions maintenance area 844 provides navigation to promotions inprocess such as current features, dealer updates, ad banners, and thelike, as well as to marketing messages about to expire, sales reportsfor promotional items, referring collateral for promotions, and view ofall reports. A main view/update promotions area 846 provides navigationto current features, dealer updates, ad banners, and the like. A managepromotions box 848 including similar navigation to adding, viewing ormodifying current features, dealer updates, and ad banners is providedto the left along with another view promotions box 820. The listing andfunctionality of the marketing content and collateral management tasksfrom the dashboard 811 is presented in a main marketing content andcollateral management area 850.

A typical reports and analysis landing screen 852 is shown in FIG. 23.This includes a main frequently used reports navigation area 854 withthe navigation features from box 816, and an expanded navigation area856 with launch icons and short descriptions for navigation to variousreport types and analysis functions such as inventory and sales, siteactivity and feedback, dealer management, product and catalogmaintenance, image tracking, marketing and promotion content, and thelike.

A similar reports and analysis navigation box 858 is provided on theleft, along with an alerts box 860.

The level of ability to order and replenish equipment online accordingto the present invention reduces the cost for the carrier to serve theindirect dealer agent channel, and achieves a more consistent anduniform order processing. For the independent dealer agent, theinvention facilitates an easy and reliable handset and accessoryordering interface, and can provide the convenience of multiple paymentoptions and the savings of volume discounts. The equipment trackingintegration avoids so-called “trans-shipping” of product subsidized bythe carrier, and minimizes fraud by facilitating the association ofESN's to activated customers. The dealer agents similarly havefacilitated inventory tracking and a reduced working capitalrequirement. The online communication channel facilitates the carrier'sdelivery of marketing and branding messages in real time, for example,promotions, coop changes, rate plan data, rebates and the like. Thedealer agents enjoy online provision of collateral and trainingmaterial, and an always-on, real-time link to the carrier.

The present invention has the potential for reducing carrier costs andincreasing the sales potential. The channel management application canreduce order processing, shipping and tracking costs; reduce informationtechnology expenditures through system integration and reportingconsolidation; and reduce the costs for promotional and collateralmaterial. Simultaneously, the channel management application improvesthe ability to sell higher margin products and plans, can increase theaccessory attachment rate, and facilitates the application of cooppayments to purchases by dealer agents.

Exemplary software that can be used to implement the invention in oneembodiment is listed in the computer program listing appendix.

1. A system for managing a wireless device arid service distributionchannel, comprising: a product ordering software module integrated withan activation and credit scoring software module, a commissionsmanagement software module, and a coop management software module,wherein the software modules are optionally integrated with additionalsoftware modules for product and service management, and reportgeneration; a web-based interface between the software modules and aplurality of geographically distributed dealer agents who operate retailinterfaces with customers for the sale of wireless devices andsubscription services; a data link with one or more distribution centersfor delivery of wireless devices from a plurality of wireless devicemanufacturers in accordance with orders processed by the productordering software module; an interface between the software modules anda plurality of carriers providing the subscription services activatedfor the customers via the activation and credit scoring software module.2. The system of claim 1, wherein one or more of the dealer agents areauthorized agents for the sale of the subscription services by at leasttwo of the carriers.
 3. An indirect dealer agent distribution channelmanagement system, comprising: a web-based presentation layer forinterfacing and exchanging data between a plurality of wireless dealeragents, at least one wireless carrier and at least one distributioncenter; a communication layer for interfacing and exchanging databetween the presentation layer and a plurality of wireless businessfunction modules including at least product ordering, activation andcredit scoring, commissions management, coop management, and contentmanagement and delivery, 1 and optionally including modules for productand service management, report 1 generation, and metrics gathering;wherein each of the wireless business function modules has access to adistribution channel database for the storage and retrieval of data usedby the modules; a data link provided between the product ordering moduleand the at least one product distribution center; an optionaldata-mining engine for selecting data from the database for the reportgeneration module.
 4. A wireless indirect dealer agent managementsystem, comprising: (a) a plurality of dealer agents for sellingwireless devices and carrier subscription services to customers; (b) aplurality of carriers for providing the subscription services to thecustomers; (c) a web-based presentation layer for the dealer agents andthe carriers to interface with channel management software including atleast content management, wireless device ordering and reporting tools,and optionally including one or more tools for supplying rate planinformation, product marketing, credit scoring, activation, coopmanagement, commission management and combinations thereof; (d) a datalink between the channel management software and a database for storingand retrieving channel management data; (e) a data link between thechannel management software and one or more distribution centers forsupplying wireless devices from one or more manufacturers to the deaferagents according to orders placed via the wireless device ordering tool.5. A wireless indirect dealer agent management system, comprising: (a) aplurality of dealer agents for selling wireless devices and carriersubscription services to customers; (b) one or more carriers forproviding the subscription services to the customers; (c) softwaremodules for product and service management, coop management, commissionsmanagement, activation and credit.scoring, replenishment ordering, andreport generation; (d) a presentation layer for interfacing between theplurality of dealer agents and the software modules; and (e) a contentmanagement and delivery module for interfacing between one or morecarriers and the software modules.
 6. A wireless indirect dealer agentmanagement system, comprising: (a) a plurality of dealer agents forselling wireless devices and carrier subscription services to customers;(b) one or more carriers for providing the subscription services to thecustomers; c) a communication layer for interfacing between softwaremodules for product and service management, coop management, commissionsmanagement, activation and credit scoring, data capture, replenishmentordering, content management and delivery, and report generation; (d) apresentation layer for interfacing between the dealer agents and thecommunication layer; (e) wherein the one or more carriers are linked forinterfacing with the presentation layer, the communications layer, or acombination thereof.
 7. The system of claim 6, further comprising adatabase for storing and retrieving data by the data capture softwaremodule and a data-mining engine operatively 3 associated with thedatabase and the report generation software module for data mining andmetrics reporting.
 8. The system of claim 6 comprising more than onecarrier.
 9. The system of claim 6 comprising one or more additionalsoftware modules linked to the communication layer for integrating oneor more additional business functions into the system.
 10. A wirelessindirect dealer agent management system, comprising: (a) a plurality ofwireless independent dealer agents for selling wireless devices andcarrier subscription services to customers; (b) in communication with anintegrated channel management application system operated by a channelmanager; (c) for supplying the wireless devices from a plurality ofdistribution centers operated by the channel manager, the carrier, athird party independent of the channel manager and the carrier, or acombination thereof.
 11. A wireless indirect dealer agent managementsystem, comprising: (a) a channel manager network includingfunctionality to order and pay for product, market product, manage coop,activate product, receive commission revenue, manage accounts, accessthird party transactions, input customer data, support advertising,train sales representatives, or a combination thereof; (b) a channelmanagement interface for a plurality of carriers to interface with thechannel manager network; (c) an agent interface for a plurality ofdealer agents to interface with the channel manager network, whereineach dealer agent is an authorized activation agent for at least one ofthe carriers; (d) a gateway through the channel manager network for eachof the carriers to manage activations by respective authorizedactivation agents.
 12. The system of claim 11 wherein at least one ofthe dealer agents is an authorized activation agent for two or more ofthe carriers.
 13. The system of claim 11 further comprising a thirdparty interface for additional service providers and devicemanufacturers to interface with the channel manager, and a respectivegateway through the channel manager network to manage sales byauthorized dealer agents.
 14. computerized wireless indirect dealeragent management system, comprising: (a) a product ordering tool; (b) areporting tool; (c) a content management tool; (d) a commissionsmanagement tool; (e) an enterprise database including a data warehouse,a membership and user database, and a product database; (f) anapplications programming interface between the tools and the enterprisedatabase; (g) graphical user interface processors operatively associatedwith each of the product ordering tool, the reporting tool, and thecontent management tool for exchanging data via internet browser with aplurality of: product ordering agents comprising wireless dealer agents;a plurality of reporting users comprising the wireless dealer agentsarid at least one carrier; and a plurality of content managers includingthe at least one carrier.
 15. The system of claim 14 wherein the productordering tool includes targeted marketing functionality.
 16. The systemof claim 14 wherein the product ordering tool includes real-time statusfunctionality.
 17. The system of claim 14 wherein the product orderingtool includes custom catalogs for the product ordering agents.
 18. Thesystem of claim 14 wherein the product ordering tool includes advancedproduct navigation.
 19. The system of claim 14 further comprisingadditional business partners with Internet browsers for exchanging datawith the graphical user interface processors.
 20. The system of claim 14further comprising a transaction broker-server for exchanging data withintegration partners selected from external data warehouses, externalcredit scoring and activation systems, coop management partners,distribution centers, fulfillment centers, and combinations thereof. 21.The system of claim 20 wherein the transaction broker-server exchangesdata in simple object access protocol or extensible markup language, 22.The system of claim 21 further comprising a custom transaction clientfor exchanging data between the transaction broker server and anintegration partner without simple object access protocol or extensiblemarkup language capability.